Heidi Ann
by CitrineMama
Summary: After Charlie's death, Dean takes care of the only family she's got left.


"Are you serious?" Sam's incredulous tone made his older brother roll his eyes. "I can't believe what you're telling me, here."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do huh?" Dean threw his hands up. "Charlie's gone now and Heidi's at her apartment, all by herself. She's 12 years old... where the hell is supposed to go? How is she gonna take care of herself?" His slightly panicked tone made Sam wipe a hand down his face.

"Alright. Fine. You want me to come with you?"

"No... I'll be fine."

"You think she's just gonna let you bring her back here to the bunker? No qualms about some strange guy just taking her outta her home?"

Dean shot him a glare as he checked his duffle. The drive to Charlie's current apartment wasn't more than an hour, but it was gonna be a long ride regardless. "I don't know... I'll call Cas if there's a problem."

Sam snorted. "You do that." Pause. "Call me when you got her."

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Dean unlocked the apartment and clicked on the light, closing the door softly behind him, bag on his shoulder. "Heidi? You here?"

Not surprisingly, there was no answer and he sighed. He set his bag down and moved around the apartment slowly, not wanting to startle the twelve year old that was living with Charlie. "It's Dean, Charlie's friend. I won't hurt ya... gonna bring you home with me and Sam."

He searched the apartment room by room before he moved to the end of the hallway and clicked on the guest room light and there she was, hiding on the other side of the bed, peering at him with wide, scared green eyes. "Hey... you alright?"

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The ride home was quiet and he glanced in the review mirror. Heidi Ann had allowed him to take her from Charlie's apartment and she got in the backseat and relaxed some on the worn leather, as if she belonged there.

Dean hummed along to the radio, occasionally glancing at her in the rearview window, her emerald gaze on his every time. It was a quick ride home after his phone call to his brother and Sam met them at the door. "Hey..." he seemed surprised that Dean was actually able to bring her back to the bunker. "So wow... we're doing this, hm?"

The older man walked by him, all his and her belongings in hand. "I'm gonna put her up in the guest room." Heidi took a look at Sam before following Dean down the hallway quietly. Sam dared a grin; the softness of his brother's heart truly knew no bounds.

"This is your room." He pushed open the door and looked down at her. Heidi seemed to sense that it was safe and stepped inside. Dean moved around her carefully and set her fuzzy blanket on the bed. "I'm down the hall and so is Sam. I'll be checkin' on ya." Green met green and he nodded when she didn't reply.

"I'm gonna grab a shower," He called down the hallway to Sam, who was banging around in the kitchen making them something for dinner. Dean stripped down and got in the shower, cranking up the water a little more. His sinuses were already feeling crappy and he let the steam clear out some of the congestion before washing up and getting out to get dressed. He padded down in bare feet to his bedroom and passed Heidi's room. He didn't see her inside and wondered if she'd heard Sam making food and wandered down towards the noise.

"Heidi in here?"

Sam looked up from the chicken he was sauteing in the cast iron pan. "No... not in her room?" There was a teasing lilt to his tone and Dean shot him a look. "She's fine... she won't get into a trouble here." The older man knew he was right and moved to the fridge for a couple beers.

After dinner, Sam washed the dishes and dried them before exiting the kitchen and moving down towards the sleeping quarters. He paused in Heidi's doorway, but the bed was empty. He moved down a few door and pushed Dean's door open a bit.

To his surprise, Heidi was in bed with his brother, curled up next to him, his hand on her back, absently rubbing her longish black and white fur. He was snoring lightly and Heidi looked to Sam, as if to challenge him to make her leave his bed. He chuckled to himself before heading down the hallway to his room to turn in for the night.

Castiel had always said the bunker felt one species shy and damned if he wasn't right.

Charlie would've liked that Dean cared about her enough to bring her elderly cat home to live out her years with the Winchester boys. She would no doubt be spoiled and petted and treated like family by the angel and the two boys she was proud to call family.

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Hey all!

This one just popped into my mind the other day and thought it was a cute one shot. Dean's always acting like such a hardass and I thought this would show his softer side. (Plus I didn't want Charlie's death to leave such a sour taste in my mouth.) Leave me a review!

CitrineMama


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